SUMMARY The Philadelphia Spine Research Society (PSRS) has been conducting annual research meetings since 2004 and the 2019 ORS PSRS International Spine Research Symposium will be the 5th international conference of the PSRS in collaboration with the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS). This proposal seeks support to promote and enhance trainee and junior faculty attendance at the 2019 ORS PSRS 5th International Spine Research Symposium: New Horizons in Intervertebral Disc Research. The Symposium will be taking place on November 3-7, 2019 at Skytop Lodge, Poconos, PA which is a convenient location for both New York and Philadelphia regions. The primary purpose of this conference is to promote state-of-the-art research, and to enhance scientific discourse and collaborations in the broad field of intervertebral disc biology. Previous ORS PSRS conferences have had an excellent track record of bringing together researchers and clinicians at various stages of their careers across numerous disciplines. Key features of the meeting include plenary lectures, state-of-the art peer-reviewed presentations, roundtable discussions and trainee and student presentations. Distinguishing features of this conference are its relaxed atmosphere and purposefully unscheduled time to foster informal interactions and exchange of ideas among participants. The organizers are committed to strong participation of trainees and junior faculty in all activities, which this funding will help promote. The main topics to be highlighted at the 2019 conference include: Epidemiology, Imaging and clinical research of the spine; Molecular, cell & developmental biology of the intervertebral disc (IVD); Aging and IVD degeneration; Pathomechanisms of back pain; Biomechanics and mechanobiology of the IVD and spinal tissues; Functional tissue engineering, biomaterials and device design for IVD degeneration and back pain. The conference organizers expect broad participation from basic researchers, biomedical engineers, and clinicians of all career stages that are concerned with diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders including IVD degeneration and back pain.